Friday

On Friday we went to our friends’ house to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The grand finale was the lighting of sky lanterns, which we tried to send up to the heavens with our wishes.

With each launch I made a fervent wish…

OH MY GOD, PLEASE LET THAT LANTERN KEEP RISING AND NOT LAND ON THE NEIGHBOR’S ROOF!

OH MY GOD, PLEASE LET THAT FLAMING LANTERN THAT JUST FELL INTO THE AZALEA BURN OUT BEFORE THE SHRUB BECOMES COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES!

OH MY GOD, PLEASE DON’T LET THAT NICE MAN I JUST MET AT THIS LOVELY DINNER PARTY SELF-IMMOLATE AS HE TRIES TO LIGHT THE FUEL CELL ON HIS LANTERN!

Saturday

My daughter and I spent the day at a local high school for her Destination Imagination tournament, where I served as an appraiser for a category in which she was not competing. (“Wear a funny hat,” they told me)!

What’s Destination Imagination? my sister asked.

Well…it’s an activity for kids who…aren’t athletic, was my daughter’s coded explanation.

My family and my friend and I went to see Postmodern Jukebox that evening…Those are some crazy talented artists!

 Sunday

We made a flash visit to Arlington to meet up with some of my family, including my sister & her crew who were down from Princeton. We went to our nostalgic favorite, Peking Gourmet Inn:

One of these things is not like the other…Spot the giant among pygmies.